Guides / Cacti
Cacti
Spined plants adapted to dry conditions.
B
Balloon Cactus
Parodia magnifica
How to grow balloon cactus as a houseplant. Its dense golden spines, ring of yellow spring flowers, and how it clusters as it ages.
Bishop's Cap Cactus
Astrophytum myriostigma
How to grow bishop's cap cactus, Astrophytum myriostigma. It has no spines at all, propagates only from seed since it never offsets, and low light fades its silvery flecking to plain green.
Brain Cactus
Stenocactus crispatus
How to grow brain cactus as a houseplant. Its wavy, convoluted ribs, and why strong light keeps the folded pattern tight and pronounced.
Bunny Ears Cactus
Opuntia microdasys
Practical guidance for growing bunny ears cactus, Opuntia microdasys, including glochid safety, paired pads, bright sun, dry roots, and mild toxicity.
C
Christmas Cactus
Schlumbergera truncata
How to grow and reflower a Christmas cactus. Why it is not a desert cactus, how to tell it from a Thanksgiving cactus, and what causes bud drop.
Claret Cup Cactus
Echinocereus triglochidiatus
How to grow claret cup cactus, Echinocereus triglochidiatus. It survives cold that kills most cacti yet rots in wet winter soil, and its scarlet flowers are built for hummingbird rather than bee pollination.
D
Dog Tail Cactus
Deamia testudo
How to grow Deamia testudo, the dog tail cactus, a jungle cactus with ribbed stems that clamber over trees by aerial roots and big night flowers.
Dragon Fruit
Selenicereus undatus
How to grow dragon fruit, Selenicereus undatus. Why the flowers open after dark and fade by morning, forcing same-night hand pollination, the second plant many varieties need to fruit at all, and the forest habitat that makes this cactus prefer some shade.
Dwarf Chin Cactus
Gymnocalycium baldianum
How to grow dwarf chin cactus as a houseplant. Its ribbed, spineless-looking body, large red flowers, and why strong light matters for both.
G
Glory of Texas
Thelocactus bicolor
How to grow glory of Texas as a houseplant. Its banded pink and cream spines, large summer flowers, and why it tolerates a range of conditions well.
Golden Barrel Cactus
Echinocactus grusonii
How to grow golden barrel cactus, Echinocactus grusonii. Its entire wild population was flooded by a dam in the 1990s, overwatering is the real risk rather than drought, and most never live long enough to flower.
N
Night-Blooming Cereus
Selenicereus grandiflorus
How to grow night-blooming cereus, Selenicereus grandiflorus, as a climbing cactus. Its huge one-night flowers, and why it needs something to climb.
Nightblooming Cereus
Selenicereus spinulosus
How to grow Selenicereus spinulosus, a nightblooming cereus, a vigorous climbing cactus with slender spiny stems and fragrant white night flowers.
O
Old Lady Cactus
Mammillaria hahniana
How to grow old lady cactus as a houseplant. Its dense covering of white hair-like spines, ring of pink spring flowers, and how to avoid rot.
Old Man Cactus
Cephalocereus senilis
Practical guidance for growing old man cactus, Cephalocereus senilis, including its protective hair, slow columnar growth, strong sun, dry roots, and non-toxic care.
Orange Snowball Cactus
Rebutia muscula
How to grow orange snowball cactus as a houseplant. Its dense clusters of small, spiny stems, and why offsets root more easily than you might expect.
P
Peruvian Apple Cactus
Cereus repandus
How to grow Peruvian apple cactus outdoors. Its fast upright columns, edible fruit, and why it copes with more cold than most tall cacti.
Prickly Pear Cactus
Opuntia ficus-indica
How to grow Opuntia ficus-indica. Why the invisible bristles are worse than the spines, how to prepare the pads and fruit, growing it in a cool climate, and the moth that saved Australia.
Princess of the Night
Selenicereus pteranthus
How to grow Selenicereus pteranthus, the princess of the night, a stout blue-stemmed climbing cactus that opens vast, scented white flowers after dark.
S
San Pedro Cactus
Echinopsis pachanoi
How to grow San Pedro cactus as an ornamental columnar cactus. Its fast growth, cold tolerance for a cactus, and the legal status of its alkaloid content.
Silver Torch Cactus
Cleistocactus strausii
How to grow silver torch cactus, Cleistocactus strausii. Its high-altitude Andean origin gives it a cold tolerance rare among cacti, strong sun keeps the spines dense rather than sparse, and a tall column can topple without a heavier pot.
Star Cactus
Astrophytum ornatum
How to grow star cactus as a houseplant. Its ribbed, star-shaped silhouette, dense white speckling, and why it needs particularly sharp drainage.
Nothing here matches.
Clear a filter, or search every guide from the hub. The plant you are after may be filed under another category.
Search all plant guides